Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

RGH implements new procedures

PORTALES - Effective Monday morning, Roosevelt General Hospital established new screening procedures for visitors in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Hospital staff is manning a screening center at the entrance, and RGH has discontinued walk-in extended clinic services until further notice.

Anybody experiencing symptoms they believe to be COVID-19 are asked to call a hospital hotline at 575-356-9292 to discuss symptoms.

Jeanette Orrantia, RGH's director of marketing, planning and public relations, noted that not everybody who calls will be instructed to come to the hospital based on the phone call, and people will not automatically get a test. She said the hospital has a limited amount of tests, and RGH doesn't want to bog down the state testing system.

The hospital has not had a positive COVID-19 test. A Roosevelt County resident did test positive, but the test was done at Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis.

Anybody with health concerns not related to COVID-19 without an appointment is encouraged to call the hospital at 575-356-6652 to set up a telehealth appointment.

Visitors with appointments at RGH not related to COVID-19 will be granted access to the hospital's main parking lot following screening questions.

Emergency room visitors and people advised to come to the hospital for COVID-19 concerns will be sent to the rear of the hospital. A screening process there will divert visitors either to the ER or to a tent that will start the process for potential COVID-19 patients.